Took this out easy, saw one guy just fly off the front. My HR shot up to top of zone 4 and just stayed there, didn't feel like I was putting in that kind of effort so I just hoped that maybe I was flying and didn't feel like it. Just over the 2 mile mark it plummeted to the bottom of zone 2, alas, I think I just didn't get a proper warm up and was selling myself short. Really just wanted to get warmed up during this run anyhow. I had hoped to go 24 flat or so but came in 20 secs over that.

Go a little more by feel than what the HR was telling me at that point on a chilly day.

Had the fastest T1 of the dualthetes. Was smooth, but as I approached the exit encountered some Tri folks who were just "sauntering" out of transition. Just got stuck in traffic and couldn't get to the mount line as quickly as I had wanted.

If I had realized the mount line was so far out of the transition area, I would have been more aggressive in getting around the "slowpokes"

I guess I should have checked out the transition exit more closely

I don't know what to say, this was 14 minutes slower than last year. Seems like the field as a whole was slower this year, but this was reeedddiiicccuuulooouuuusss.. After I got out of transition I felt like I was moving well. Was frustrated by so many people staying way left even with no-one around them. Got out on Quincy and felt like I was doing ok, It was interesting how I would get passed in "clusters", not people drafting but more as the fast people from various waves would come by. When I was on the bike, I was only passed by one duathlete that had the pass stick, as for how many went by while I was in the port-o-lets, I don't know. I realized I was moving slower than I had hoped for when I started north on Watkins Road. Was hoping that the downhill stretch there would pick it up and I would carry it through the Hwy 36 section. Didn't really seem to materialize. There was a slight headwind there again but nothing overly bothersome. Made it to the outer corner averaging 19.9 - over 2 mph slower than last year. I was frustrated by that but figured - believed - hoped I could make it up on the way back going with the wind for a change. I had to pee really bad but was just too cold to fully release the bladder on the bike. Speaking of cold, did you know that chocolate powergels are really thick in that temperature - they work much better in the 80's and 90's. Finally when I knew my bike time and my goals for overall time were out the window, I decided to stop at the port-o-let. The last 10 miles or so were basically to set me up to PR a half mary. Hit the port-potty right outside transition too (adding to the bike time and not the run time) and then just skated my bike to the dismount line.

I don't know

At this point I didn't care about overall time or how long I took in T2, I just wanted to try and get myself ready for the run and to be able to run as well as possible. I moved steadily to my spot. Took the time to suck down a pair of gels, got a drink, took off my long sleeve shirt, put on the shoes and hat - it was still cloudy so I didn't bother changing the glasses like I had prepared to do. I walked from my spot to the exit. Stopped to adjust my right shoe. Reset my stopwatch and started running at the transition exit. Considering all that, I still was 10 or 11 out of 33 Duathletes in T2

Care about speed, but on this day, I was happy with it.

I got started at the pace I had hoped to be able to hold for the whole race, that lasted all of about 2 miles. I slowed progressively and settled into my LSD training pace. Funny how that seems to happen, I just fall into what I have been doing. Didn't have an aid station strategy for this, I was going to use as I felt I needed. I walked every aid station I used, normally about 10-20 secs worth, but I did have a long one at mile 8 as I grabbed something to drink and some animal crackers. I started doing Coke at mile 7 and did coke and water every mile after that. At the 10 mile mark I picked up the effort level on the hills back in to the finish. Got my splits back down to the 8:30's. Knew I would PR, just not as strong/solid as I had wanted. Maybe I need to run a stand alone Half Mary again and just put it out of reach in a multi sport event. Got to the finish and two blond girls were standing at the ropes, as I went by, they ducked under the ropes and ran with me through the finish. The man at the finish gave my medal to my older girl - that was priceless. After a bit she shared it with the younger girl.

Again, I don't know. It is what I had today.

Are you kidding, after I found the rest of my family, I froze while I had one girl and mom took the rest of the family to the potty and diaper changes. I had no desire to jump in the lake for a ice down of the legs.


Let's see, where do I start, a household all fighting off viruses etc the week leading up to the race. Running on 1000mg + of Ibuprofen a day . Playing volleyball on Thursday night when I only played 2 or 3 times all summer and hadn't played since the first of August. Waking up early Sunday morning and thinking I am fighting off conjunctivitis. Missing my planned pre-race nutrition. Gaining 5 lbs during taper week. Not having a good nutrition/hydration plan for cold weather. Being unfocused for much of the year.
All excuses. I should have executed better anyway.


I enjoy Harvest Moon and all the racing underground events I have done.
Even if it doesn't hit the race calender next year, I would love to go out and volunteer.